WHEREAS, in 2010 the US ranked 14th in
reading, 17th in science, and 25th in mathematics among
the 34 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries;
and

WHEREAS, in 2008 the U.S. high school graduation rate
was lower than the rates of the following OECD countries: United Kingdom,
Switzerland, Norway, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Finland and
Denmark; and

Whereas, in that same year the U.S. was the only
developed nation where a higher percent of 55- to 64-year-olds than 25- to
34-year-olds had graduated from high school; and

WHEREAS, increasing student achievement, graduation
and college completion rates can result in economic benefits including
increases in individual earnings; home sales; job growth; spending and
investment; and tax revenues; and

WHEREAS, though there are a number of factors that
influence student success, the quality of an education system is dependent on
the quality of its teachers; and

WHEREAS, the world’s top performing school systems
recruit 100 percent of their teacher corps from the top third of college
graduates; and

WHEREAS, in the U.S .only 23 percent of new teachers
come from the top third, and just 14 percentof teachers in high poverty schools come from the top third; and

WHEREAS, though some schools of education in the U.S.
offer rigorous training, many are still held in low regard, while more than
half of teachers are trained in colleges with low admissions standards,
accepting nearly any high school graduate that applies; and

WHEREAS, the number of new teacher hires in public
schools is projected to increase 12 percent to 350,000 in 2020; and

WHEREAS, the average earnings for workers in the U.S.
with college degrees are 50 percent higher than average teachers’ salaries; and

WHEREAS, research suggests that improving
compensation, working conditions and professional prestige could attract a
higher percentage of the top college students into the profession;

WHEREAS, President Obama’s Project RESPECT outlines
similar challenges and strategies for addressing teacher talent needs in the
U.S.;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S.
Conference of Mayors supports the development of a strategic and systematic
approach to attract, retain and ensure the efficacy of the most talented
educators; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S.
Conference of Mayors supports the following policy priorities:

Establish more selective, applied, and rigorous
standards for schools of education to ensure that top quality candidates are
attracted to the profession.